New trials in the consolidation of waterlogged archaeological wood with different acetone-carried products

Some acetone-carried consolidants for waterlogged archaeological wood were tested in order to evaluate treatments able to save time and energy. In details, colophony (rosin), two esterified colophonies (Rosin 100 (R) and Rosin 459 (R)), a mixture of colophony with PEG 3400 and a vinyl acetate - vinyl versate copolymer (Vinavil 8020S (R)) were tested. The treatments were carried out at temperatures of 20 and 35 degrees C on waterlogged maritime pine, elm, oak and beech. The materials came from the archaeological site of the ancient ships of Pisa (Tuscany, Italy) and were dated back to VII cent. BC - II cent. AD. To evaluate the processes, equilibrium moisture content and dimensional stability of treated wood samples at different relative humidity, and retention of impregnating products were measured; moreover macroscopic and microscopic examination were also run to respectively assess the shape and appearance of treated wood and the way of deposition of consolidants. The results highlighted that natural and modified colophony treatments gave the most satisfactory results both in the maintenance of shape and dimensions of samples and in the stabilization with respect to RH variations. Moreover, the equilibrium moisture contents of samples treated with R100 and R459 were much reduced in comparison to the other consolidants and to untreated archaeological wood. This fact was related to the high retention values of those products that occluded most of the porosity including the microporosity of cell walls. Therefore, in terms of higroscopicity treated wood was more similar to impregnating substances rather than to decayed wood. This fact was considered helpful in contrasting the moisture-related negative effects in cases of eventual faults in the climate control during e.g. exhibition and in protecting treated wood from the risks of new fungal attacks. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.